'Sneaky' drop in what govt pays rooftop solar producers

5
3017

By ERWIN CHLANDA
 
The Opposition says the NT Government has “sneakily dropped the Feed In Tariff from 23.68 cents per kWh down to 8.3 cents”.
 
The Feed In Tariff is the amount paid by the government’s electricity system to owners of rooftop solar arrays who sell excess electricity into the grid.
 
The change means that the government will be charging for power three times as much as it will pay for it.
 
Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro says the reduction was brought in without consultation “on the weekend while Territorians were still trying to adjust to the biggest changes in their lives with COVID-19″.
 
However, the changes apply only to Feed In Tariff agreements made after April 5. Earlier ones will continue to receive the 23.68 cents per kWh, but this will end when a property ownership changes.
 
The changes will sharply reduce the public’s incentive to invest in private electricity generation.
 
“There was a complete lack of consultation with Territorians or solar providers on this change and no provision has been made for a grace period which would allow homeowners who had planned to install solar to finalise their in process applications before this change came into force,” says Mrs Finocchiaro.
 
Meanwhile the government’s Jacana Energy says the solar feed-in-tariff rate was the same as the usage rate paid by a customer purchasing electricity from the grid, a one-for-one rate.
 
“Jacana Energy is the only retailer in Australia continuing to offer a feed-in tariff at the current premium rate of 23.68181 cents per kilowatt-hour for both residential and business customers who have installed a rooftop solar PV system up to 30kW in size.
 
“Solar feed-in tariffs in other jurisdictions around Australia generally range between 6 and 16 cents per kilowatt-hour.
 
The Country Liberals (CLP) does not have a current renewable energy policy, according to an Opposition spokesman, but is planning to announce one “in a couple of months”.
 
UPDATE April 9, 8.10am: See report by MALCOLM DUFFIELD.
 
 
 

5 COMMENTS

  1. So it has gone from the best in the country to one of the worst. Was only considering going solar over the weekend and was researching local suppliers.
    What a time to do it.
    Maybe a drop by one third, but a two third drop? Wow, what a kick in the guts to this industry.

  2. Because solar alone only gets a customer through the day a solar plus battery combination helps cover the night time use too so this change should be seen as inevitable.
    I installed solar 10 years ago and receive a premium FIT until 2027 as our production was calculated to offset additional investment that would be required in the grid. I get around 50c per KWh and was paying 38c from the grid.
    Meanwhile my daughters have installed solar recently and were able to put from three times the size plus battery for one and six times the size without battery for the other, for not much more money than I spent 10 years ago. Times change.
    Most interesting despite my more generous FIT I paid $700 to my provider while my daughters are likely to have “free” power since solar was installed.
    So I say “sneaky” or not get used to it and get on with it.

  3. Tariffs or not. It is still good value. I went from $500 quarter bills to $0. Plus a small credit on the side. Basically like paying $13,000 of electricity in advance. But adding to my house value at the same time.

  4. Watchn: Under the new tariffs your bill would be approximately $320 per quarter. No credits any where to be seen.
    So then you must ask, will the solar have a viable pay back period? Maybe – but it has now gone and tripled in time.
    If the financial value of the output decreases, then this also severely diminishes the value of the asset regarding house value.
    Furthermore, I suspect the new tariffs will kick in on the existing solar systems upon the sale of the property, hence potentially reducing the value of your investment as a home owner.
    Gunner and Co. Can’t trust them.
    This aligns with their class warfare, they figure people who own solar are wealthier. So this won’t cost them votes. Those who are upset for environmental reasons will just go further left to the Greens. Hello preferences.
    Does this not remind anyone of the tenant / pets policy fiasco? They see the future votes in the tenants not the landlords.

  5. Richard Bentley summed it up best with his last sentence. However, the best reason to go solar is to avoid having to pay Jacana 23+ cents per kiloWatthour for electricity that you can make, onsite, for very much less.
    It’s the saving that translates to guilt-free use of electricity to cool your home, power: your kitchen, your workshop and and yes, even you car.
    That REALLY adds value to you property!
    If you must make generating solar power your business investment, then consider getting a few mates invested too, to build larger, community-scale, solar power so that those who who are not home owners might access renewable energy at market prices that reflect the low-cost of solar power.
    Of course, to be allowed to sell that power will require a change in Government regulation – or a change in Government?

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here